Champions League preview: Werder Bremen v Tottenham Hotspur
Unlike the vast majority of his Tottenham team-mates, Peter Crouch knows a thing or two about the Champions League.
The forward sits third in Liverpool’s all-time list of goalscorers in the competition, and he sealed his current club’s progress to the group stages with a hat-trick in last month’s 6-3 aggregate victory over the Swiss side Young Boys, so when he talks about Tottenham’s chances, you’d be wise to listen.
“I genuinely believe we've got enough ability about us,” was his battle cry this week. “When I played in that Liverpool side that got to the final [against AC Milan in 2007], we were extremely well organised and I think that's what you've got to be in the Champions League.
“Defensively you've got to be right on your game, you've got to be extremely solid, and a lot of the time - certainly away from home - you've got to play a lot of counter-attacking football. That's what we did at Liverpool but we've got some fantastic footballers here who can unlock defences, and if we're solid and tactically aware there's no limit to what we can achieve.”
That may be so, but with Michael Dawson – one of their most solid defenders – and Jermain Defoe – surely their deadliest weapon on the counter attack – both missing as they get their group-stage campaign underway, things don’t look promising. Thankfully, the knee injury sustained by Luka Modrić at West Brom on Saturday isn’t too serious.
They drew that, but there is a sense that Spurs are prioritising Europe, something that comes across when listening to their giant striker.
“It's the best competition in the world for me,” continued the excited Crouch, “I don't think any competition comes close.
“To bring Europe to Tottenham is a great achievement. Having spoken to fans and former players, the Double-winning 60s side was such a fantastic era in Tottenham's history. Hopefully we've got a chance to be a part of that history now.”
They have, and their first test of Europe’s elite competition comes in the form of Germany’s perennial group stage qualifiers Werder Bremen, who enter Group A fresh from a battling goalless draw at Bayern Munich at the weekend.
Undoubtedly weakened by the loss of World Cup star Mesut Özil to Real Madrid, Werder can still boast players the quality of German internationals Tim Borowski, Marko Marin and skipper Torsten Frings, as well as Portugal’s Hugo Almeida.
Former Manchester United and Arsenal defender Mikaël Silvestre joined in the summer, but ex-Chelsea forward Claudio Pizarro – a revelation since joining the club in 2008 – will miss out here with a thigh injury. Both had their critics in England, but they have a team-mate who is even more determined to impress against Premier League opposition.
“I was a Liverpool fan as a boy,” says Werder’s attacking midfielder Aaron Hunt, German-born to an English mother.
His uncle is a “big Arsenal fan” and his grandfather went to the same north-east school as Sir Bobby Charlton, but although Hunt’s impressive performances in Germany ensured that England manager Fabio Capello sent assistant Stuart Pearce over to see him play on at least one occasion, there was never much doubt in his mind who he was going to play for at international level. He never really had a choice.
“Of course I used to consider whether I should play for Germany or England,” he continued. “But I never got the chance to make the decision as no-one from England really took an interest or made the effort to ask me.
“I got selected for the German youth teams and last year made my full debut for Germany, so that is that.”
That full debut came in a friendly against the Ivory Coast last November, rendering the England debate now null and void, but while he won’t be representing the English national team, he may well soon be plying his trade in the English leagues.
“It would be a great opportunity to play there,” says Hunt, who is seen as Özil’s successor at Bremen. “Germany has been catching up in the last few years, with new stadiums and better players coming to the Bundesliga, but England is still number one.”
Whether Tottenham will be number one after this tough opening to their group remains to be seen, but with European champions Inter Milan awaiting in this group, both sides will be desperate for points, as they’ll know that the results between the teams could determine who finishes second to the Italians.
Crouch may know all about this competition, but many of his team-mates could be in for a shock tonight.
A new Spurs era is about to dawn, but it could get off to a disappointing start.
Prediction: Werder Bremen 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
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